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10 Reasons to Implement SAM

Why should you implement a Software Asset Management (SAM) Plan in your business?

Financial Security

The complexities of managing software across an organization make controlling costs a big challenge and can leave you feeling financially vulnerable. Implementing a good SAM plan controls your costs with standardization throughout the software life cycle. You can thereby secure the information needed to choose the most cost-effective licensing programs, provide better IT forecasting for budgeting, and receive tax benefits associated with software depreciation.

Volume discounts for better price points

SAM can help you save when purchasing your licenses, improve relations with your software resellers, and give you an advantage in future negotiations. These benefits and others are possible because a fully implemented SAM plan gives you a better understanding of what types of licenses—and how many—your organization has purchased and deployed, and what you are actually using and therefore need. Should you buy on a per-PC basis, or could you save money through volume licensing? Your SAM plan will provide you with the insights to help you make efficient and effective decisions for the unique needs of your organization.

More liability control

A good SAM plan helps you avoid financial penalties and legal costs by ensuring that your licenses are compliant, and helps prevent any potential damage to your reputation that could arise from a lawsuit. SAM can also help you achieve compliance with government regulations that require strict standards of IT governance and controls.

Good corporate governance

Effective corporate governance begins with two basic steps: identifying the risks facing your business, and controlling and mitigating those risks before they can have an impact. SAM can help you identify your business and compliance risks associated with software management (or lack thereof) and establish a set of well-defined best practices that help ensure consistent management of these assets throughout your organization.

Increased employee satisfaction

A good SAM plan will give your employees the right tools they need to do their jobs. Trouble-free software and IT systems that function as they should will result not only in increased efficiency, but also in better overall employee morale.

Smoother operations

Your entire organization runs better with SAM. Initially, by providing better automation and standardizing processes to help reduce complexity, SAM optimizes your software and IT resources and lets you focus on running your business. Infrastructure Optimization can take your business from a non-managed reactive state to a proactive, optimized, and dynamic state. You also have an added peace of mind by ensuring your software is genuine and not pirated. This provides an extra layer of security and efficiency that pirated software cannot, and which might in fact interrupt your IT systems and overall business.

Reduce/eliminate waste and redundancy

Overlapping, non-integrated, and outdated applications are just harder to manage. SAM gives you the information you need to make the best use of your software assets and to pay only for what you use. Thorough and ongoing reconciliation can reveal software overlap, as well as software that you no longer use and can consequently retire but are still maintaining. SAM therefore enables you to reduce/eliminate maintenance plans and additional fees on software you no longer use. *Always check your license agreements before transferring software. Certain agreements may limit the transfer or redeployment of software.

Better market position

SAM can help your business gain the competitive advantage it needs in the marketplace. Up-to-date licensing and an extensive, comprehensive documented media library can result in faster, easier processes and streamlined software functionality throughout the organization; both with day to day activities and in times of mergers and acquisitions.

Increased long-term business value

Implementing SAM can increase your organization’s agility and enhance its future value by ensuring that you make strategic use of resources in times of changing business conditions. With consistent and effective SAM practices in place, your business is more efficient and can respond quickly to market conditions and opportunities. Following the best practices in your SAM plan results in better information for decision making and a higher degree of operational excellence; ultimately driving long-term business value.

Flexibility for the future

SAM gives you better insight into your future software needs and provides a scalable foundation for growth. Instead of buying all the newest software and updates available, you’ll be able to decide exactly what software is needed and when you’ll need it. With SAM, you can plan for your future needs now.

2 thoughts on “10 Reasons to Implement SAM”

It’s hard to believe that anyone can question the need for SAM. After all, businesses run on software these days and if you don’t know what software you have, how it’s configured, who’s running it and where and when, how can you possibly claim to be in control of your business?